The Twelve Chairs [Russian Edition]

The Twelve Chairs is one of the most popular and prolific satirical novels written by Odessa-based Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov. Set in Soviet Russia, the story starts with a deathbed confession about substantial family treasures hidden from the Bolsheviks in one of the twelve chairs. A team of treasure hunters is quickly formed. Smooth operator Ostap Bender and Kisa, the Pussycat, set off to track down the chairs. They are not alone in their quest.

Anna Karenina [Russian Edition]

A beautiful society wife from St. Petersburg, determined to live life on her own terms, sacrifices everything to follow her conviction that love is stronger than duty. A socially inept but warmhearted landowner pursues his own visions instead of conforming to conventional views. The adulteress and the philosopher head the vibrant cast of characters in Anna Karenina, Tolstoy's tumultuous tale of passion and self-discovery. Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

Heart of a Dog [Russian Edition]

One of Mikhail Bulgakov's most beloved stories for its dark humour and biting stature, featuring a stray dog named Sharik who takes human form as a slovenly and narcissistic incarnation of the New Soviet Man. The novel has become a cultural phenomenon in Russia, known and discussed by people of all ages and generations. Read in Russian by Boris Plotnikov.

The Idiot [Russian Edition]

Prince Myshkin returns to Russia from an asylum in Switzerland. As he becomes embroiled in the frantic amatory and financial intrigues which center around a cast of brilliantly realized characters and which ultimately lead to tragedy, he emerges as a unique combination of the Christian ideal of perfection and Dostoevsky's own views, afflictions, and manners. His serene selflessness is contrasted with the worldly qualities of every other character in the novel.

The Master and Margarita

The Devil comes to Moscow, but he isn't all bad; Pontius Pilate sentences a charismatic leader to his death, but yearns for redemption; and a writer tries to destroy his greatest tale, but discovers that manuscripts don't burn. Multi-layered and entrancing, blending sharp satire with glorious fantasy, The Master and Margarita is ceaselessly inventive and profoundly moving. In its imaginative freedom and raising of eternal human concerns, it is one of the world's great novels.

War and Peace [Russian Edition]

War and Peace broadly focuses on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the most well-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family behind to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman who intrigues both men. As Napoleon's army invades, Tolstoy brilliantly follows characters from diverse backgrounds.

The Golden Calf

Ostap Bender is still alive after barely surviving the assassination attempt in the previous book, which he once briefly mentions as "stupid business". This time he hears a story about a clandestine millionaire named Alexandr Koreiko. Koreiko has made millions through various illegal enterprises while pretending to live on an office clerk's salary of 46 rubles a month. Read in Russian by Aleksey Kortnev and Aleksey Bagdasarov.

The White Guard [Russian Edition]

The White Guard is less famous than Mikhail Bulgakov's comic hit, The Master and Margarita, but it is a lovely book, though completely different in tone. It is set in Kiev during the Russian revolution and tells a story about the war's effect on a middle-class family (not workers). The story was not politically correct and thereby contributed to Bulgakov's lifelong troubles with the Soviet authorities. It was, however, well-loved, and the novel was turned into a successful play at the time of its publication in 1967. Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

American Road Trip

Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov came to the USA to drive cross-country and back on a 10-week trip, recording images of American life through the lens of a Leica camera and humorous impressions of America in their notebooks. When they returned home, they published their work in Russia's leading cultural magazines and later in their book. Filled with humorous observations and travel stories, this audiobook lets you experience this wonderful American road trip for yourself.

Dead Souls [Russian Edition]

Dead Souls is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842, and widely regarded as an exemplar of 19th-century Russian literature. Gogol himself saw it as an "epic poem in prose", and within the book as a "novel in verse". Despite supposedly completing the trilogy's second part, Gogol destroyed it shortly before his death. Although the novel ends in mid-sentence, it is usually regarded as complete in the extant form. Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

Russian Canary, Book 1: Zheltukhin

Russian Canary follows the lives of two families: one from Odessa and another one from Kazakhstan, entangled by fate into a complicated sequence of events. The trilogy features strong, colourful character sets, from an Israeli intelligence officer to gypsies and a deaf girl-tramp, each following their often dangerous and unpredictable path in this latest thriller. This is book one in the trilogy, narrated by the author, Dina Rubina, in Russian, unabridged.

Publisher's Summary

Nothing in the whole of literature compares with The Master and Margarita. One spring afternoon, the Devil, trailing fire and chaos in his wake, weaves himself out of the shadows and into Moscow. Mikhail Bulgakov's fantastical, funny, and devastating satire of Soviet life combines two distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem, each brimming with historical, imaginary, frightful, and wonderful characters. Written during the darkest days of Stalin's reign, and finally published in 1966 and 1967, The Master and Margarita became a literary phenomenon, signaling artistic and spiritual freedom for Russians everywhere.

Samoylov did an outstanding job in portraying the characters! I haven't heard anything (anyone) better. it's like listening to a play on a radio!

Any additional comments?

Growing up in USSR i couldn't escape reading this book when at school It was a part of compulsory reading that we HAD to do. I personally think it was great idea, but WAY to early to get to the point and main idea of the book.Now, decades later i keep reading it all over and over again. It is by far one of my favorite books. Every time i find something new for myself!

Highly recommend this version to all native Russians and people who can comprehend Russian language (Speech).

It's absolutely amazing masterpiece. The words and sentences are so delightfully juicy and ironic. Bulgakov plays with the language extremely tastefully and graceful. The magic of reality and a reality of magic intertwined and not giving us even a second of rest or boredom. I was reading it on my tipy toes

This is a wonderful audioversion of a Russian beloved novel by a controversial writer. Bulgakov's writing style is literary, witty, and very engaging. The narration is very well done, extremely professional and easy to listen to if you speak Russian.

Word of caution: this audiobook is read entirely in Russian, it is not a translation.

That being said, the performance is spectacular. The characters come to life.

The story is very entertaining, but lacks parsimony. There are many instances where the obvious is bluntly and redundantly explained. Furthermore, the ending feels melodramatic and weak compared to the rest of the plot.